A Closer Look At The World Tarot Card & What It Means For Beginnings (& Endings)

The World card, first and foremost, indicates the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new one, explains tarot reader and founder of Witchy Wellness Leah Vanderveldt. It's the last card of the Major Arcana, the section of your deck that represents the Fool's Journey.

"The figure in the World dances outside of time and space within a wreath of victory, holding two wands symbolizing balance," Vanderveldt tells mbg. "This card is a big up-level; it's an absorbing of lessons and wisdom that brings a person into a new understanding of their life and their role in it."

The figure pictured on the card in the traditional Rider-Waite deck is naked, she notes, which expresses complete humanity and the embodiment of balanced divine feminine and masculine qualities.

"It's an encapsulation of the dance of life—sometimes mysterious but ever moving and cycling," Vanderveldt adds.

If you pulled the World upright in a reading about love and relationships, Vanderveldt says it can indicate a period of satisfaction, celebration, and growth.

And if you pull the World in reverse, it could mean that your relationship is feeling stagnant or, at least, not growing as fast as it once was.

Vanderveldt says this isn't necessarily a sign your relationship is doomed, but rather it invites you to make a change.

To pull the World in a reading about your career or finances is a great sign; it means things have come full circle, you've attained a goal, or you're experiencing (or on the brink of) success, Vanderveldt notes.

Pulling this card in reverse here can indicate "the finish line feels out of your grasp, or you feel like you’re not reaching your full potential," Vanderveldt explains to mbg.

Some things to consider asking yourself if this happens include, Are you happy with the way things are going? What's the best way you can balance striving and achieving with receiving and appreciating? 

If you've asked the cards about what challenges you're facing, and you pull the World upright, Vanderveldt says, it can mean you're having a hard time celebrating your accomplishments. You're on to your next goal before you even take a moment to reflect on where you've been.

The World asks you to pause and spend time in the celebration, she says. "As a society, I think we've come to feel like the completion of something indicates an awkward, in-between time, so we ask what's next? But this is what we've actually been working toward; this is the reward."

And when pulled in reverse in a reading about challenges, the World invites you to take a good look at your life and conduct a bit of a personal review. What lessons have you learned in your life? What do you feel has been clarified for you recently? Where is a sense of balance and fulfillment eluding you?

To pull the World in a tarot reading usually indicates you've come to the end of a cycle, and new beginnings are around the corner. If you pull it in reverse, take it as a sign to reflect and make any necessary changes.